Fort Pierce park memorial to be dedicated to late judge

Where: 600 N. Indian River Drive, Veterans Memorial Park, along the south end of the river walk.

FORT PIERCE — Wallace Sample is often remembered by local residents as a revered circuit court judge who served the community on the bench for some 20 years. But he also was responsible for turning the Indian River Lagoon waterfront into the park that has rehabilitated the historic downtown district.

Joanne Holman, who was court clerk for Sample for several years, recalls the judge telling her stories about "Sample's Folly," which was how the critics of his idea described what is now known as Veterans Memorial Park. Much of the land today along the riverfront had been submerged when Sample was mayor of the city in 1953-54.

"He was the one who wanted that filled in as a park," said Holman, who retired as St. Lucie County clerk of the circuit court in 2005 after 12 years.

Sample lost his re-election bid for mayor because his idea of using material from the Indian River Lagoon to create a waterfront park sounded too costly.

He eventually got his wish when the city later used the rock and fill from the dredging of the lagoon to form the park, which now attracts visitors to the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery, the Manatee Observation and Education Center and other downtown sites.

The city is honoring the former mayor and judge, who died in 1991, with a stone monument and bronze plaque, which is located east of the Backus gallery at the south end of the river walk. The project was funded through the city's Art in Public Places.

A memorial dedication ceremony will feature Holman, former mayor Bob Benton and members of Sample's family, including his children, Linda Chastain, Christine Forney and Dr. John Sample.

Chastain came up with the idea of a memorial in a conversation with former Mayor William Dannahower several years ago.

"He and I talked one day and expressed our desires about how nice it would be to memorialize my father's efforts to create Veterans Memorial Park," Chastain said.

She said she is grateful for the honor her father is receiving, but also pointed out that the city has "created this beautiful welcome sign to the river walk" with a plaque that notes his vision for the park.

"I am pleased with the recognition for my dad's sake, but also very pleased as it turned out," Chastain said. Some original ideas included a monument on a grander scale, but the more modest structure would be more to his liking, she said.

"He was pretty much a hometown boy who found success professionally and personally in his hometown, which he loved very much," Chastain said.

Aside from being mayor, Sample, a law school graduate from the University of Florida, was an attorney until 1959, once serving as the city attorney. He was circuit court judge from 1959 until his retirement in 1979.

"He was just an outstanding man," Holman said. "He had a wonderful sense of humor" and enjoyed telling stories about growing up along the riverfront.

"He knew the law and he was a mentor to all the judges, and especially the young attorneys that would come in," Holman said.